Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 920,581,[1] making it the most populous county in Georgia. However, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed suspects significant undercounting in the City of Atlanta,[2] which implies similar concerns for Fulton County as a whole – the 2009 estimate of the county's population was 1,020,014, 10.8% higher than the 2010 census results. The current 2013 estimate for the population of Fulton County is 984,293. Its county seat is Atlanta,[3] the state capital since 1868. 90% of the City of Atlanta is within Fulton County (the other 10% lies within DeKalb County). Fulton County is the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area.

At the beginning of 1932, as an austerity measure to save money during the Great Depression, Milton County to the north and Campbell County to the southwest became part of Fulton County. This gave the county its current long shape along 80 miles (130 km) of the Chattahoochee River. On May 9 of that year, neighboring Cobb Countyceded to Fulton County the city of Roswell and lands lying east of Willeo Creek, in order that the latter county be more contiguous with the lands ceded from Milton County.

Fulton County is governed by a seven-member board of commissioners, whose members serve concurrent four-year terms. The most recent election was held in November 2010. The county has a county manager system of government, in which day-to-day operation of the county is handled by a manager appointed by the board. The chairman of the Board of Commissioners is elected to District 1, a county-wide position. The vice chairman is elected by his or her peers on a yearly basis.

Human services programs include one of the strongest senior center networks in metro Atlanta, including four multipurpose senior facilities. The county also provides funding to nonprofits with FRESH and Human Services grants.

Atlanta is the largest city in Fulton County, occupying the county's narrow center section and thus geographically dividing the county's northern and southern portions. Atlanta's last major annexation in 1952 brought over 118 square miles (310 km2) into the city, including the affluent suburb of Buckhead, and was motivated in part to maintain a majority of white voters in the city.[citation needed] The movement to create a city of Sandy Springs, launched in the early 1970s and reaching fruition in 2005, was largely an effort to prevent additional annexations by the city of Atlanta, and later to wrest local control from the county commission.

Geographically remote from each other, the northern and southern sections of the county have grown increasingly at odds over the collection of taxes and distribution of services. Residents of the affluent areas of North Fulton have increasingly complained that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners has ignored their needs, taking taxes collected in North Fulton and spending them on programs and services in South Fulton. In 2005, the Georgia General Assembly directed Fulton County, alone among all the counties in the state, to limit the expenditure of funds to the geographic region of the county where they were collected. Fulton County contested this law, known as the "Shafer Amendment" after Sen. David Shafer (Republican from Duluth), in a lawsuit that went to the Georgia Supreme Court. On June 19, 2006, the Court handed down a decision upholding the legality of the Shafer Amendment.

The creation of the city of Sandy Springs prompted a move to create two additional cities that completely municipalized north Fulton. In a domino effect, the residents of south Fulton then moved for referenda to potentially create additional cities. One of these two referenda passed; the other was defeated.

Since the 1970s, residents of Sandy Springs had waged a long-running battle to incorporate their own city. They were repeatedly blocked by Atlanta Democrats, but when control of state government switched to suburban Republicans after the 2002 and 2004 election, the movement to create the city picked up steam.

The General Assembly approved creation of the city in 2005, and a suspension of existing state law that prohibited new cities (the only type of municipality in the state) from being within three miles (4.8 km) of an existing one. The citizens of Sandy Springs voted 94% in favor of ratifying the city charter in a referendum held on June 21, 2005. The new city was officially incorporated later that year at midnight on December 1.

In 2006, the General Assembly approved creation of two new cities, Milton and Johns Creek, that would completely municipalize North Fulton. The charters of these two new cities were ratified overwhelmingly in a referendum held July 18, 2006.

Voters in the Chattahoochee Hills community of southwest Fulton (west of Cascade-Palmetto Highway) voted overwhelmingly to incorporate in June 2007. The city became incorporated on December 1, 2007.

The General Assembly also approved a proposal to form a new city called South Fulton. Its proposed boundaries were to include those areas still unincorporated on July 1, 2007. As a direct result of possibly being permanently landlocked, many of the existing cities proposed annexations, while some communities drew-up incorporation plans.[6]

Voters in the area defined as the proposed city of South Fulton overwhelmingly rejected cityhood in September 2007. It remains the only unincorporated section of the county. North Fulton, which is overwhelmingly Republican, as is the legislature, have discussed forcing South Fulton residents to become a city to get Fulton County out of the municipal services business.

Some residents of suburban north Fulton have advocated that they be allowed to secede and re-form Milton County, after the county that was absorbed into Fulton County in 1932 during the Great Depression. Fulton County, in comparison to the state's other counties, is physically large. Its population is greater than that of each of the six smallest U.S. states.

The demographic make-up of Fulton County has changed considerably in recent decades. The northern portion of the county, a suburban area that is mostly Republican, is among the most affluent areas in the nation. The central and southern portion of the county, which includes the city of Atlanta and its core satellite cities to the south on the other hand, is overwhelmingly Democratic, and contains some of the poorest sections in the metropolitan area. However, there exist exceptions to this particularly in the neighborhoods along Cascade Road outside of the I-285 Cascade Heights and Sandtown located in the southwest region of Fulton County which are predominantly made up of affluent African-Americans.[7]

The main opposition to the separation comes from the residents of south Fulton County, who say that the proposed separation is racially motivated. State Senator Vincent Fort, an Atlanta Democrat and a member of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, very strongly opposes the plan to split the county. "If it gets to the floor, there will be blood on the walls", Fort stated. "As much as you would like to think it's not racial, it's difficult to draw any other conclusion", he later added.[8]

A political firestorm broke out in Atlanta in 2006 when State Senator Sam Zamarripa (Democrat from Atlanta) suggested that the cities in North Fulton be allowed to secede and form Milton County in exchange for Atlanta and Fulton County consolidating their governments into a new "Atlanta County". South Fulton residents were strongly opposed to Fulton County's possible future separation.

Fulton County has a 7% total sales tax, including 4% state, 1% SPLOST, 1% homestead exemption, and 1% MARTA. Sales taxes apply through the entire county and its cities, except for Atlanta's additional 1% Municipal Option Sales Tax to fund capital improvements to its combined wastewatersewer systems (laying new pipes to separate storm sewers from sanitary sewers), and to its drinking water system.[9] Fulton County has lowered its General Fund millage rate by 26% over an eight-year period. Fulton County is the most fiscally conservative Progressive county in the nation with an excellent [10] credit rating.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 534 square miles (1,380 km2), of which 527 square miles (1,360 km2) is land and 7.7 square miles (20 km2) (1.4%) is water.[11] The shape of the county resembles a sword with its handle at the northeastern part, and the tip at the southwestern portion.

Almost every major highway, and every major Interstate highway, in metro Atlanta passes through Fulton County. Outside Atlanta proper, Georgia 400 is the major highway through north Fulton, and Interstate 85 to the southwest.

MARTA serves most of the county, and along with Dekalb County, Fulton pays a 1% sales tax to fund it. MARTA train service in Fulton is currently limited to the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, East Point, and College Park, as well as the airport. Bus service covers most of the remainder, except the rural areas in the far southwest. North Fulton residents have been asking for service, to extend the North Line ten miles (16 km) up the Georgia 400 corridor, from Perimeter Center to the fellow edge city of Alpharetta. However, as the only major transit system in the country that its state government will not fund, there is no money to expand the system. Sales taxes now go entirely to operating, maintaining, and refurbishing the system.

As of the census of 2010, there were 920,581 people residing in the county. The population density was 1,544 people per square mile (596/km²). There were 348,632 housing units at an average density of 660 per square mile (255/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 48.1% White, 44.6% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 5.6% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. 7.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest self-reported European ancestry group in Fulton County is English (8.7%) followed by German (7.5%)[16]

There were 321,242 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.15.

The age distribution was 24.4% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $49,321, and the median income for a family was $58,143. Males had a median income of $43,495 versus $32,122 for females. The per capita income for the county was $30,003. About 12.4% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.